Champagne is generally associated with feelings of euphoric excess and the special occasions that prompt them -- New Year's Eve celebrations, weddings, birthdays, promotions. Even if you're in the mood to splurge, a large crowd or a tight budget can prompt the pursuit of cheap Champagne. From France to Spain, Italy, and California, there's enough excellent bubbly to go around for $10 or less. The challenge lies in knowing what you're buying. We considered online reviews and ratings from a variety of sources and consulted a wine expert to come up with our top picks.

If you think cheap white wine is only for grandma's spritzer, think again. There's a white wine -- costing no more than $10 to satisfy almost anyone's palate. Inexpensive white wines can complement a range of foods, brighten up a lazy summer afternoon, and make an excellent substitute for pre-dinner cocktails. White wines typically present fruity and/or floral flavors and aromas, sometimes offer a bit of spice and earthiness, and range in sugar content from bone dry to dessert-level sweet. We've made top picks based on tastings, ratings, reviews, and awards, on top of expert advice, and suspect wine drinkers will find at least one selection to suit both their sipping preferences and their budget.

Who needs a premium red wine when a thoroughly respectable bottle costs $10 or less? Frugal quaffers who know even a little bit about wine and aren't afraid to go with what they like will find many such bottles. There are hundreds of cheap red wines out there -- some barely worth the few dollars you'd pay but many worth drinking. With so many styles, grape varieties, producers, and labels to choose among, shopping can be a challenge. To guide wine drinkers through the thicket, we've made top picks based on tastings, ratings, reviews, awards, and expert advice. We've also selected a wide array of other inexpensive red wines fit to serve with a meal, bring to a party, or sip over the course of a quiet evening.

Graco SimpleSwitch reviews tout its two-in-one versatility and overall convenience. The legs on this model come off, turning a free-standing high chair into a booster/feeding chair that sits on a standard dining chair. At sites like Amazon and Walmart parents commend the design for its alternative and longer-term functionality; aside from serving its traditional purpose at meal times, the Graco SimpleSwitch (starting at $70, Amazon) when legless can be placed on the floor for toddler seating, carted along on trips, and used far longer as the child grows (the weight capacity for booster mode is half again the maximum in high chair mode). Several reviews caution, however, that the base of the booster is quite wide and requires care when choosing which chair to place under it. Parents report the SimpleSwitch is easy to clean, with a seat pad that can be wiped down or tossed into the washing machine and a large, flat feeding tray that thankfully has no seams or indentations. Assembly is accomplished in minutes, according to high chair reviews, and the result is a sturdy piece of baby gear. The tray can be removed with one hand, although a few reviewers report some difficulty getting it to slide in and out.

The seat on the SimpleSwitch reclines to three angles and contains a 5-point harness that converts to 3 points for older children. There is built-in storage for the legs once they're snapped off. The high chair weighs about 20 pounds and holds children up to 40 pounds; when used as a booster/feeding chair it can accommodate up to 60 pounds.

Where to buy

The draw with this model is the option to switch from high chair to booster/feeding chair. Unlike some of the best picks in the budget range, the SimpleSwitch doesn't fold or sport wheels, but its unusual design meets expectations for portability and practicality.

Emily Lugg

Emily Lugg is a freelance writer and writing tutor in the Writing Center at Ohio Wesleyan University. Always looking for the best investment for her family at the cheapest price, Emily uses research and consumer reviews as her sharpest tools for the savviest shopping.